Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee accused Dundee United's players of getting Davide Grassi sent off by threatening to "smash his face in".
Aberdeen bounced back from a hat-trick of Clydesdale Bank Premier League defeats to win 1-0 courtesy of a 15th-minute goal from Charlie Mulgrew, the defender's fourth of the season. They were looking comfortable until the final half-hour after Grassi picked up their seventh red card of the season for lashing out at Andy Webster following a coming together with the United captain.
McGhee, who insisted Webster should also have been sent off, said: "He was being threatened all afternoon that he was going to get his face smashed. He reacted and he shouldn't have."
He added: "But I think the linesman on this side could have helped us because I think he got involved in it and it's him who told the referee what happened.
"I don't think - whatever he told the referee - that he told him the full story.
"We've had another player sent off and they've only had a player booked - I can't quite understand that.
"I used to tell people I was going to smash their face in.
"I used to come here and Heggy (Paul Hegarty) would tell me he was going to break my leg. It's part of the game so you don't react to it.
"You just wait for your chance and, when you get the chance, you smash their face!"
